Wool product



Patented Mar. 27, 19 23.

umrsa STATES-f PATENT OFFICE.

'HIRAM Y. MOBRIDE, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNITED STATESWOOL COMPANY, 01 DENVER, COLORADO, A CORPORATION OFARIZONA.

WOOL PRODUCT.

No Drawing. Original application filed April 23, 1920, Serial No.376,130. Dividedand this application filed October 2, 1922. Serial No.591,941.

To all whom it may-concern Be it known that I, HIRAM Y. MCBRIDE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county ofDenver and State of Colorado, have invented a new, useful, and ImprovedWool Product, of which the following is a specification.

The subject matter of this application is a part of my application forwool cleaning, original application filed April 23, 1920, Serial Number376,130, allowed June 1, 1920. Renewal application filed May 29, 1922,Serial Number 564,620, allowed June 28,1922.

This product is the result of a method of cleaning rawor greasy woolwherein such wool is agitated for a time with dead burnt gypsum--thatis, gypsum or plaster of-Paris which has been roasted at a sufficienttemperature and for a suflicient time to lose su'bstantially entirelyits power for combining with water.

- In the preparation of wool for use in the industries, it is anecessary preliminary step.

to free the raw wool of the natural grease, 'snint, or yolk which itcontains; a more or less indefinite material containing various watersoluble potassium salts, greases and various other organic matters. Thewool must also be freed of various other extraneous materials, dirt,etc. Upon the completeness of the removal of these natural impuritiesdepends much of the success of subsequent operations in fabric making..The

foreign matters in the wool are, more or less, like a varnish over thesurface and this varnish must be removed.

The wool fiber has a more or less rough or serrated.- surface, sometimesreferred to as scales, and it is particularly difficult to remove alltraces of the foreign matter occurring in the serrations of the fiber.One type of method used for cleaning raw wool is to agitate it withvarious dry powders. The

dirt, wool grease etc. are taken upfby these powders and may be removedwith them. While many such powders maybe used and v certain have beenproposed, they do not by any means act alike and it is dilficult to se-:ure one which will produce the desired type of thorough-goingurification; to secure a material which wil effectually remove all theextraneous matter from the wool fibers and which can itself be entirelyremoved with facility.

One of the best of these pulverulent materials is gypsum, or plaster ofParis, in its various forms. Gypsum,;chemically considered, is CaSO,.2H..O; that is, it is calcium sulphate with two molecules of water ofcrystallization. By carefully roasting or baking, or as it is frequentlytermed calcining, it is converted into ordinary plaster of Paris withthe loss of most of its water of crystallization. In the conditions inwhich it is left by this baking or calcining operation, it is able totake up the lost water and reform the original crystallized material;this being the reason that it sets with water.

I have found that dead burnt gypsum in contact with greasy wool removesthe dirt much more thoroughly than other varieties of gypsum materials.And I find that not only does it take off the grease, etc. from thesurface of the fiber but it also removes the grease from the serrations;producing a wool which spins, felts and weaves with unusual facility'and which takes dyes and colors much more readily and sharply thanotherwise purified wool. As for the reason for the observed superiorityof dead burnt gypsum over ordinary gypsum material, I

am not certain and content myself with notin the observed fact withoutcommitting myse f to any theory as to the reasons therefor. I may notehowever that, whatever the reasons may be, wool cleaning by pulverulentmaterials is a matter involving, at least to some extent, adsorptionphenomena, and adsorption of greasy matters b surfaces which do notcontain, and wil not take up water, is better than it ever is with moistor hydrated surfaces. But whatever the reason, the fact is-as stated;that gypsum deprived of the power of combiningwith water b dead burningremoves grease etc. much more effectually than other gypseous materials,even where suchmaterial is bakedto asubstantially anhydrous condition bya baking for a shorter time and at a lower temperature.

One incidental advantage of using dead burnt gypsum for the presentpurposes which I have noted is that such gypsum does not tend to clumpup, since such moisture as is in the wool does not afiect it.

In preparing gypsum for my purposes, any ordinary gypseous material ofgood quality, such as native gypsum, land plaster, plaster of Paris,etc., may be employed. Calcination of such gypsum at a temperature of500 C. for two hours gives a material suitable for my purposes. I havefound it advantageous, in most instances, to calcine the gypsum at about700 C. for a period of about forty eight hoursgypsum so calcined hasgiven satisfactory results. Any ordinary type of calcining apparatusadapted for economical treatment of the material at a high temperaturemaybe used. Calcination should be carried on for a sufficient time andat a suflicient temperature to cause the material to lose its power ofsetting with water; and should be controlled by tests from time to time.The material is best reduced-to a powder of at least 250 mesh prior touse.

The powder may be distributed through the wool by any suitable form ofagitating device. With a'good quality of dead burnt gypsum, it will befound that after the agitation is complete, the gypsum, together withthe matters taken up, may be readily removed by "any suitable dustingdevice of standard type, leaving no residue of either gypsum or greaseon the wool. The wool is clean and ready for manufacturing etc. Incontacting the wool and dead burnt gypsum, this is best done if the woolis warmed, say, between 100 and 140 F., as this facilitates the actionof the dead burnt gypsum in taking up grease, etc.

In practical embodiments of my invention it is advantageous to pick thewool preliminarily in any of the usual devices, adding a little deadburnt gypsum to it during the picking. The picked wool, together withthe gypsum, may then be passed through a warm chamber, say, at 100 or140 F. by means of an imperforate belt. More dead burnt gypsum may beadded during this time. Finally the wool may be delivered to a perforatebelt in the same chamber. Most of the gypsum and the matter taken upthereby is dropped through the perforations at the bottom ofthe chamberwhence it may be removed by a conveyer or other suitable device. Finallythe wool maybe freed from the rest of the gypsum, etc., in any ordinarydusting or heating device.

In the commercial process of scouring wool, either by the wet methodwith water or by a chemical solvent, the resulting product isirregularly stained due to the difficulty of removing allthe grease inthe wool. It is therefore not the natural color of the wool. It is alsomore or less felted or matted and requires to be opened up before it canbe used in the textile arts.

In my improved cleansed product, after the treatment of the woo-l in thegrease, the raw wool is open and lofty?I and of the natural color of thewool; y product is in marked contrast, in its physical characteristics,to the scoured, felted or matted, irregularly stained commercialdegreased raw wool.

In the production of my new product I treat the wool in the grease byopening up or lofting the wool fibers by moving them in substantiallythe same direction, and by applying a grease absorbent to the woolfibers while in said open and lofty condition during said direction ofmovement. The fibers of the wool thus treated are freed of grease stainsand are made open and lofty by a treatment which separates the woolfibers and keeps them free.

This new product has a greater affinity for dye than wet scoured woolbecause of the fact that the fibers are evenly degreased. It istherefore in a better condition for dyeing.

In my product the scales or serrations of the wool fibers are left intheir .natural state. In commercially degre'ased wool the scales orserrations of the fibers are distorted and injured by being undulyopened or bent over, or weakened or broken, and thereby its desiredqualities greatly impaired. These defects are inherent in wool producedby other procemes.

The new product is open and lofty, and as such'the fibers of the woolare lustrous because their scales or serrations are left in theirnatural state with the color unimpaired. By my cleansing process, asdls- I wool a grease absorbent for freeing the product from grease stainand preserving the scales or serrationsof its fibers unimpaired.

. The grease absorbent used is dead burnt gypsum. In fact it may be saidthat my improved product is wholly dependent upon the use offinely'powdered dead burnt gypsum, whether ordinary or dehydratedgypsum. The use of ordinary or dehydrated gypsum, or plaster of Paris,does not pro- What I claim is c duce my product. The presence in my 1. Acleansed, open, lofty degreased W001 product of any particles ofordinary powproduct substantially as set forthr dered gypsum woulddefeat the product, be- 2. A cleansed, open, lofty, lustrous, raw

5 cause such gypsum when exposedto' moiswool product of the naturalcolor of the ture, whether inthe gypsum, atmosphere, or wool, the scalesor. serrations of the fiber wool, sets or hardens. Dead burnt gypofwhich are in the natural state. sum does not set or clump up. HIRAM Y.MCBRIDE.

